


Between Summer & Winter (there was something else)

by vanillascribble



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, One Shot, Vignettes, Whipped Im Jaebum | JB
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:53:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23988436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillascribble/pseuds/vanillascribble
Summary: Jaebum is summer. Jinyoung is winter.
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	Between Summer & Winter (there was something else)

**Lyrics in italic at the beginning of Summer and Winter are taken from _‘Please Don’t Say You Love Me’_ by Gabrielle Aplin**

**Summer**

****

**_Summer comes and winter fades_ **

**_Here we are just the same_ **

**_Don't need pressure, don't need change_ **

**_Let's not give the game away_ **

Im Jaebum is summer poured into a person; face cracking into a wide easy smile that reaches his ears, reminding one of the first sunrise of a new year. Jovial and playful, he is innocent and childish in some sense, running circles in empty fields, hands spread open and face tilted towards the cornflower blue sky, gathering energy from the sun beaming upon earth. 

Jaebum moves languidly, like a cat bathing under sunlight, stretching his long legs and craning his neck as he rises from sleep. However, his lukewarm reaction climbs to full temperature whenever he gets excited, sometimes wreaking damage upon equipment on set; his arms and legs moving in all directions, spinning like a hurricane let loose in a cornfield, destroying everything in its path as the song plays. The glass stage cracks, a strobe lights burns, his necklace hits him hard in the face during a vigorous dance choreo and yet Jaebum continues, his passion burning hotter than the sun at noon, pausing only when his Icarus’ wings freeze beneath Jinyoung’s icy stare. The younger male often cleans up after him, shaking his head and cursing the leader under his breath, head bowed in apology, his face blushing with anger and embarrassment.

_Self-control, Jaebum-ah. Will you never learn?_

But Jaebum avoids him, knowing very well he would fare much better by steering away from Jinyoung during those moments. So he squirrels away behind a dog-eared paperback he has read more than twice, or feigns sleep beside Mark, whose calm demeanour seem to tame Jinyoung’s temper the best.

* * *

For someone who guards his privacy like a maximum-security prison, its ironic how Jaebum’s mouth moves faster than his brain. Oftentimes he overshares, spilling spoilers of the album they were working on; secrets pouring out his lips like warm honey dripping from the side of the bowl, glazing the table and drawing all the ants to it.

Next to him, Jinyoung shifts uncomfortably on the sofa, nudging the leader in the side and mentally drawing up a button to put the older male on mute. But Jaebum keeps talking, super generous with TMI after the interviewer handed him a dozen bottles of strawberry milk earlier. Jinyoung clears his throat again, louder this time, and finally catches Jackson’s attention. An exchange of looks; SOS signal understood.

_Ready when you are, Seunnie._

And as Jackson suddenly breaks into a coughing fit, diverting the cameraman’s attention, Jinyoung clamps a hand over Jaebum’s mouth, dousing the leader’s bright flames with a damp blanket and preventing more ghostly smoke from escaping.

_What the—_

_Shhhhh…_

Jackson’s coughs miraculously disappear, as he charms the camera and they naturally move on to the next topic. Jinyoung breathes easy, his brows no longer furrowed.

“I don’t appreciate being interrupted like that, Jinyoung-ah.” Jaebum sulks afterward, as Jinyoung drags him to the emergency exit for a much-needed post-mortem. 

“Were you even listening to yourself?”

“Why make a big deal over it? I was in a good mood, okay? Thought I’d share some good stuffs.”

“Secrets, hyung! Memorise the meaning of the word into that thick skull of yours, will you? I can’t babysit you and everyone else at the same time!”

“But I’m just sharing things about us which people don’t know.”

“Really? That’s what you were doing, huh?” Jinyoung drawls, menace glinting in his eyes.

“Jinyoung-ah…” Jaebum backs away, finds himself against the wall.

“Want me to start sharing what happens behind closed doors, hyung? Things about us which people don’t know?” Jinyoung moves closer, face hovering inches away from his and Jaebum gulps, trying to act as if the proximity doesn’t bother him at all.

“Well?” Jinyoung asks, one eyebrow raised in anticipation.

“Fine…I’ll—I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Good boy—see you outside, Jaebum-ah..” He playfully taps the leader’s cheek, before turning away to leave.

Jaebum couldn’t help but to feel stupid, as if he was caught doing something not entirely wrong and yet having to make up for it all the same.

“Hey, what do you mean by good boy?! I’m not a goddamn puppy!”

But Jinyoung swats his words away, beckons him to follow as they rush to their next schedule.

* * *

The cicadas buzz and crickets chirp, singing a summer tune to soft snores. Jinyoung snaps the dried twigs, breaks off the branches before adding it to the campfire. The blaze crackles, licking at the new addition with relish. He pokes at it with a branch, zones out for a while as the fire burns, sending embers flying into the night sky, like fireflies drunk on air.

A soft groan rides on the balmy air, and he turns around to see the tangled bodies lying together in the tent. Yugyeom must be having a nightmare again, as he twists around in his sleep, arms stretched out, ready to fight off an imaginary enemy. Jinyoung shakes his head and nudges the sleeping maknae, rolling him away from the leader before settling down between them on the blanket.

“It’s okay…it’s not real, Gyeom-ah..” He pats the maknae’s quivering shoulders, soothes his back damp with sweat.

“Go away...” Yugyeom pleads, his voice small like a child, shattering Jinyoung to his core.

“…”

“Don’t hurt me..don’t…” Yugyeom pleads again, brows furrowed with fear.

“You’re safe—I’ve got you. No one’s going to hurt you..it’s okay..everything’s okay….” He places a palm against the maknae’s forehead, trying to absorb all the ghosts of his memories.

One full minute passes until Yugyeom is settled again, sweet in repose.

But now it is Jinyoung’s turn to shudder, the remnants of Yugyeom’s nightmare hanging over him like a cloud of summer rain, ready to fall uninvited.

Disturbed, he sidles closer towards Jaebum, burying his nose against the older guy’s back.

“What?” Jaebum mumbles in the dark, sleep tainting his voice.

“Nothing—I..I’m just cold.”

Outside, the moths circle the campfire, burning their wings in their flights of fancy and Jinyoung wonders if Jaebum ever realises that throughout the years, his wings were all burnt.

_My nightmares, hyung..willl you absorb them? Chase them away?_

* * *

Jaebum used to erupt at the smallest things, his temper raging like a killer bull against the matador’s red handkerchief, exploding at supernova. But now his rage simmers more like spicy broth in a Chinese hotpot, overflowing only if his patience is tested to its limit.

Ever vigilant, Jinyoung is always the first to sense the smoke rising from the pit of Jaebum's volcano, as he issues evacuation signal to the subject of the leader’s ire. He manages to restrain Jaebum just in time, right before the lava erupts towards the sky and he runs amok.

“Hyung, don't—”.

“Let me go! I’ll teach that—” Jaebum grabs a water bottle, throwing it towards Bambam as the Thai runs for cover, barely able to duck and the bottle misses his head by an inch. Yugyeom lets out a whistle, whooping with joy after finding himself in the middle of an instant battleground. 

“You’re going to regret it later.” Jinyoung reminds between clenched teeth, arms clasping tight around the raging leader’s waist.

“Just who do they think they are? It’s not right, Jinyoung-ah."

“They’re just kids, hyung. They mean nothing by it. Let it go—just take a deep breath, okay?”

Jaebum grits his teeth, frustration clouding his judgement, but he relents, allowing Jinyoung to absorb the heat and freeze his fire. At times when he doesn’t trust himself around the kids, he knows he can always trust Jinyoung's coolheadedness, at least.

* * *

Jaebum counts each day for summer, fingers tapping the steering wheel with anticipation on the drive to Yangyang at the break of dawn. From the passenger seat, Jinyoung complains of how even the waves must be sleeping at such ungodly hour. Jaebum simply grins and cranks up the radio, much to Jinyoung’s annoyance. 

Three hours later, Jinyoung squints at the horizon, trying to follow a figure out in the raging ocean. His lips pursed in anxiety, he continues watching as Jaebum rides the waves again and again, trying to get himself killed. By then he has lost interest in his melon ice cream as it melts, the sticky sweetness coating his fingers with green and milky residue.

Oh, how Jinyoung hates summer.

Jaebum emerges from the water an hour later, wet hair slapped against his forehead, surfboard clinging to his side. He swoops down on the sand towards Jinyoung, begging for sustenance.

“Go away, you’re wet all over!” Jinyoung shoves him away, miffed.

“Just one bite! Come on, I’m hungry.” Jaebum rolls over, resting on his elbows and stealing a bite from Jinyoung’s watermelon.

“Then go get a hotdog or something. Hey—what’s this?”

“Oh? I didn’t realise—must have knocked against the surfboard or something.” He wipes the blood away from his forehead, nonchalant.

“Hyung, you’re bleeding too much. Let’s go.”

“Oh come on, don’t be such a spoilsport.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go grab lunch and then go back into the sea.”

“No.”

“We’ve just got here. I don’t want to leave yet.”

“Are you serious?”

“We’re not leaving, Jinyoung-ah.”

“Hyung, I’m not playing around.”

“Well, neither am I.”

“…”

Jinyoung tries to remain calm, reminding himself that it is not worth it going to prison for committing murder in a public space. But a kick in the groin would be a lesser crime, and as Jaebum howls in agony, rolling on his back and hands cradling his male anatomy, Jinyoung begins packing their stuffs, trying to recall the name of the corner pharmacy he saw on their way there. 

* * *

Like sunlight streaming through the darkest places, Jaebum doesn’t hide his emotions well, nor does he want to. Slightly drunk, he ends up dragging the younger guy against him in the heat of the moment, burying his nose against Jinyoung’s nape, inhaling the aroma of pine tree and mint that always seem to hang in the air around him. Jinyoung freezes at first, but gradually relaxes, laughing nervously at the naughty things whispered in his ear.

There were days when the sun shines too bright, and there were times when Jinyoung suffocates from Jaebum’s stifling possessiveness; the leader’s arm snaking its way behind his back, resting around the side of his waist, fingers cupping around his nape, leaving no room to escape and Jinyoung feels trapped by the summer heat.

Yet, when Jaebum is not there, Jinyoung finds himself yearning for the guy, like sunflowers chasing after the sun as it moves across the sky.

_What have you done, hyung?_

* * *

**Winter**

****

****

**_Heavy words are hard to take_ **

**_Under pressure precious things can break_ **

**_And how we feel is hard to fake_ **

**_So let's not give the game away_ **

Park Jinyoung is winter personified; cold and calculated wherever he treads, careful not to crack the thin ice and awaken the monster sleeping beneath the frozen surface of the lake. He mulls over every answer, cautious not to leave too many footprints in the snow for the gossip hounds to follow, meticulous in covering his tracks.

Unlike Jaebum, no piercing or tattoo marks his skin, leaving them pristine like untouched snow in the remotest part of Antarctica. He remains calm as the others fall into hysteria, his inner thoughts rarely betrayed by his facial expressions.

Still, stoic as he is, sometimes he cracks under Jaebum’s intense attention, mirroring the other guy as he smiles and Jinyoung’s iceberg melts towards the warm Mediterranean Sea, drawn out by Jaebum’s infectious laughter.

* * *

Sometimes Jinyoung's words are sharp like spiky icicles, the tips of their meaning digging into Jaebum's skin and drawing blood.

“That’s cruel, Jinyoung-ah.”

“Oh come on, hyung. You get offended by the slightest thing. Since when are you this sensitive?”

“You looked like you mean it.”

“What? Can’t you take a joke now? I mean it as a joke, hyung—get over it.”

So Jaebum smiles and shrugs it off, tugging his hoodie tight around his face to protect himself from the chill in the air (and Jinyoung’s callousness). 

_Still hurts, Jinyoung-ah._

* * *

Jinyoung skies down the mountaintop in Gyeonggi-do, skidding in multiple S marks, like syrup meting down shaved iced—an epitome of grace and athletic flexibility while Jaebum looks over, a cup of hot chocolate warming his hands, brows furrowed with concern as Jinyoung tumbles hard after avoiding a rock.

But Jinyoung does not give up easily, rising to ski again and Jaebum sighs, knowing that all he can do is sip on his drink and wait until Jinyoung decides he has had enough.

Jinyoung returns to the ski resort hours later, his nose and ears red from the cold and shivering to the bones. He stares in amazement as Jinyoung finishes two ramyuns, slurping the spicy soup to its last drop and holds the bowl towards him, begging for more refill. He ladles more noodles into the bowl, shaking his head at the uncommon gluttony. 

Half an hour later, feeling drowsy after a hot shower and bloated from all the noodles, Jinyoung struggles to keep his eyes open, yawning multiple times. Jaebum catches the younger male before he falls onto the couch, enveloping them both with a blanket and sharing body warmth, zoning out in front of the fire.

Jaebum is always warm, and Jinyoung finds himself smiling, basking under the attention. Outside, frost forms at -4 degrees during the coldest spell of the year, and yet as Jinyoung drifts into sleep, the frost doesn’t bother him at all. The fireplace crackles and he inhales the scent of Jaebum’s aftershave; all woody and cinnamon spice. If all winters are like this, then Jinyoung wishes spring would just stay away.

* * *

December arrives, wintry winds flowing into Seoul from Siberia and Jaebum suffers its effect as he alights from the black van. Teeth chattering, his skin tightens as he comes in contact with the frosty air.

_How come I keep losing at rock paper scissors?_

But still, a game is a game, and he has to treat everyone to coffee (and chocolate for Gyeom).

Jinyoung mouths ‘Just go’, heartlessly shoving him towards his punishment. 

Jackson feigns sleep when he asks for company and Mark gives him that ‘don’t you dare’ look before the question even pops into his mind. Youngjae just laughs everything off, mocking Jaebum’s initial confidence at winning the game.

No doubt Bambam and Yugyeom would be making weird faces at him right now, from the safety of the tinted glass, thinking he wouldn’t know.

_Fine!_

He starts for the café on the corner, its fairy lights blinking and ushering him towards its temporary warmth when the van’s door slides open and someone tugs at the collar of his parka, dragging him back.

“Hyung, wait up.”

_Aahhh! I knew you're not heartless after all._

But Jinyoung doesn’t even step out from the vehicle, instead he leans over to pull Jaebum close.

“Vocal chords, Jaebum-ahhh.” Jinyoung admonishes, gentle and yet dead-serious as he tightens the muffler around Jaebum’s neck.

“I don’t need it—”

“There, off you go—and don’t forget my extra shot!” He taps the leader on his butt, sending him on his errand. 

“Jaebum-hyung! Whipped cream with my choco shake!” Yugyeom hollers before the door slides close.

Jaebum shoves his middle finger into the air, knowing they can see him behind the tinted glass.

_Spoiled brats._

* * *

Just like how ice crystals form when water vapor freezes on a particle, that’s how Jinyoung begins to develop feelings towards someone, except that his particle has a name—one who roars with laughter at all his lame jokes as if they’re the funniest lines he has ever heard, saving him from any embarrassment.

The said particle has been sending him meaningful glances over kimchi-jjeon and makgeolli one particular winter night, as the busy joint was gradually emptied from its patrons. Soon, the clock strikes twelve, and their corner table remains the only one occupied.

“Jinyoung-ah..what I’d do without you.” Jaebum ponders aloud from across the table, palms cradling his jaw like an infatuated child.

Jinyoung looks away, suddenly busy stacking up the empty plates between them, building his last line of defense against the incoming assaults.

“I try not to think about it..” Jaebum mulls.

“Should I get the bill?”

“But I did, you know? And then I—”

“I’ll call Jackson to drive you home, okay?”

“Won’t you let me finish?” Jaebum pleads, one hand landing atop Jinyoung’s, preventing him from rearranging the plates.

Jinyoung doesn’t reply, choosing to refill Jaebum’s empty bowl with makgeolli instead. The cloudy beverage mirrors the white world outside, as snow continues to fall, hiding Seoul and Jinyoung’s heart beneath a blanket of ice.

They say nothing grows in winter, but beneath the frozen ground, something grows, threatening to shoot up when the seasons change and the earth is warmer. Something Jinyoung wishes the snow would hide, as he downs his drink, savoring the slightly sweet and tangy beverage while stealing a glance at a visibly upset Jaebum.

_Don’t do this to me, hyung._

_Please._

* * *

Jinyoung is as unpredictable as winter; sometimes soft and fresh like the first snowfall of the year, dropping from the sky and gathering on withering branches. Sometimes he is stubborn, thicker than the snow covering the mountains in the distance.

And sometimes he becomes the frostbite eating away at Jaebum’s heart, as he removes the leader’s arm draped casually over his shoulder and steps away.

Dejected, Jaebum buries both hands deep in his jean’s pockets. He is at loss as what else to do with them but pull Jinyoung tight to his side, letting everyone knows not to overstep their boundaries. His jaw tightens, as Jinyoung smiles to the camera and ice forms on Jaebum’s lips, freezing them in place; fake smile on a rejected snowman.

“What’s wrong?” Jinyoung asks later, after the flashlights dim and they find themselves alone outside the studio. But Jaebum brushes away his hand, as if burned by the slight touch.

“Nothing.” Jaebum mumbles, reminding himself not to be petty.

“Something is clearly bothering you—let’s talk.” Jinyoung refuses to budge, driving Jaebum into a corner.

“I said, it’s nothing.” He glances sideways, flitting from the truth.

“Is this because of what happened earlier?”

“…”

“Hyung..”

“I understand, okay! It’s just that I can’t help but to..well, to feel bad when you ignored me.”

“Hyung, we were working. I thought you’d knew better.”

“You don’t have to be mean about it—”

“That’s what you think of me? Mean?”

“Well, yeah—weren’t you?”

“You were distracting me!”

“..What do you mean?”

“Jaebum-ahhh. You.Were.Distracting.Me. Get it?”

He struggles to understand just what exactly Jinyoung meant by that, but before he could do so, Jinyoung’s lips land atop of his, swallowing Jaebum’s question and for a moment, he wonders whether he is winter and Jinyoung is summer, because all he could feel is the searing heat licking at his skin, as the ice surrounding him thaws, rapidly turning into a wet puddle of water.

Warm breaths become vapors in mid-winter, as he searches Jinyoung's face and finds his own reflection, solid and still there even after Jinyoung blinks.

“Why? You've never been kissed like that before?” Jinyoung asks, the corner of his eyes wrinkling with mirth.

 _Why, Park Jinyoung you little prick_ —and Jaebum rages on, blooming into full summer, fingers burning against Jinyoung’s neck and thrusting his tongue against Jinyoung’s own as fireworks explode inside them, colouring the dove grey winter sky in sparks of red and electric blue.

Around them, the snow keeps falling, hitting the roof, the ground, resting on their hair like white dust. And like the snow, they both keep going, clouds of gas forming between them as they pause and gasp for air before kissing again, the cold squeezing their lungs with each breath.

Jaebum wonders if he has fallen through the cracks into the icy water beneath Jinyoung’s frozen lake, fingers raking his hair, holding his head in place as he gives him mouth-to-mouth and Jaebum’s breath constricts, hitching with each push and pull. He is drowning, he knows that, realises it as Jinyoung whispers his name repeatedly against his lips. Yet, he doesn't want to be saved.

Jinyoung marvels how even in the middle of winter, his insides feel warm, boiling almost. He winces in pain as Jaebum tugs at his lower lip, biting upon the flesh a little too hard. His legs losing their strength, he leans into Jaebum for support, his cheeks flushed. Like shaved ice left too long under the summer sun, he melts and melts as Jaebum continues to devour him, demanding for more as they move against each other; wildfire turning into an inferno, snowstorm turning into a blizzard.

**Author's Note:**

> Just wanted to post something to mark the end of Not By The Moon comeback promo period. I have been toying with the idea of writing JJP as different seasons for quite some time. I enjoyed writing this one, hopes it gives you the feels. I suck at fluff but this one comes close to being one, I hope. Let me know in the comments if you have any fave summer/winter moments from this piece.


End file.
